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Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
The BEST Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies. The Famous Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe that everyone goes crazy over!
I’ve got issues.
I am a cookie junkie of epic proportions.
There’s probably a support group somewhere for people like me.
When I was a teenager, I would go to the library and thumb through cookbooks to find every single chocolate chip cookie recipe and would beg my Mom to try out the recipe creations almost daily. Issues, I tell you.
I started off by following recipes and then I thought….let’s take a walk on the wild side and start experimenting by throwing stuff in and see what happens. What’s the worst that can happen? Well, that’s another story. Little tweaks here and there were the difference makers – browning the butter, raising or lowering the temperature of the oven, and trying out some interesting ingredients.
When I won a trip to NYC to film a perfect cookie segment for the Cooking Channel’s Perfect 3 Show in the Food Network studios, I went online to seek out the best bakeries in Manhattan. The highest rated cookie was awarded to Levain Bakery and I knew that it had to be mine. Pronto.
Oh, and it was legit. Legit and different. Unique in such a way that I had to figure out how in the world they did it. I became a mad scientist in the kitchen to figure out the how to make the Famous Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I developed a massive crush on a cookie.
I have never, ever worked on a recipe as much as this one. Another trip had to be made to NYC in the name of food science to do some more investigative research. A trip to the Truvia Baking Star competition in NYC meant multiple trips to buy my favorite cookie. We rode our bikes in the freezing cold just for that one bite. By the time we arrived, my feet were frozen, but sacrifices have to be made, right?
I came home and tweaked some more and then it happened…. that glorious batch was perfection and I finally had it.
I was taught in kindergarten that it’s nice to share so that’s what I am doing. Sharing my years of experimenting so we can all have Levain at home. It’s just the right thing to do.
Let’s start with the basics.
Use cold butter. Cut into small cubes. Since you are collecting it straight out of the fridge, you need to cut it into small pieces so the butter and sugar can become friends and make a creamy masterpiece. It takes about 4 minutes for them to warm up and become besties.
This is where it’s all over for me….cookie dough. It’s my kryptonite, unfortunately, and I blame my hips on this goodness. Who else loves this stuff?
Now, these aren’t some ordinary bite-size cookies. No these are a full-on meal. Well maybe for some people. Here’s the deal – you make them big. Really big. Like only four can fit on a cookie sheet, BIG. These are the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES EVER. Yep, I said it.
Usually, with thick cookies, they turn out like hockey pucks – cakey messes that hardly resemble a gooey cookie.
This is where these are different. We are going to crank up the heat in the oven to cook the outside quickly and leave that center nice, warm and gooey. As a cookie should be.
There are a few ingredients and techniques that set these cookies apart. First, you use cornstarch to add thickness without making the cookie dry. It does wonders in these cookies! Using cake flour also lends to a more tender cookie but you can also substitute all-purpose flour. Here’s one of my favorite cake flours — King Arthur Cake Flour
I am a huge fan of using nonstick silicone baking mats (Silpat) placed on top of the cookie sheets, which allows the cookies to be easily removed from the pan and to bake nicely. My cousin gave me a set as a gift years ago and I had no idea what I was missing out on! These are ones I have loved —Silicone Baking Sheets – 2 pack
You may want to eat these Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies the second they come out of the oven, but patience is a virtue and you must exercise some with these cookies. They need to “set up” so give them at least 10-15 minutes before you devour them. The amazing part of these cookies is that they are the only cookies I have ever made that are still cookie perfection even after a few days.
If you LOVE these cookies, you will love these other Levain Bakery copycat recipes:
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Levain Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cold Butter cut into small cubes
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour*
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Chocolate Chips
- 2 cups Walnuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 410 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
- Stir in flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Separate dough into large balls and place on lightly colored cookie sheet. They are bigger than you think! You will fit 4 cookies on one large cookie sheet. The dough makes 8 extra large cookies.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes to set.
Video
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Now go make some Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies! You need one (or two or three….no judging here) of these warm, gooey cookies, a big glass of cold milk and a to-do list with nothing on it except catching up on Netflix or those cheesy Holiday Hallmark movies that somehow keep playing on my TV.
If you are a huge fan of Levain Bakery cookies or just eating the best chocolate chip cookies, you will love my other copycat recipes — Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies and Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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Happy Baking!
Hi!
I just wanna ask, can I cut the sugars overall if i find them too sweet? From 1 cup brown sugar to 1/2, 1/2 white sugar to 1/4
Thanks!
I fear this is a stupid question, but is that 3 cups of flour total? I am just about to make these and was just questioning that. Thanks so much
I’m worried about this too!
I made them today using 3 cups of all purpose flour and they look great!
These are my new favorite!! My only comment is that if I cream the butter and sugar too much, the cookie flattens too much. I just mix them until I get a big crumble mixture
hi did you bake these with these with the assisted fan setting
Hello Melissa!
Thank you so sooo much for sharing this recipe and for saving us lots of time trying to get it right!
Your cookies turned out exactly like Levain! I loved it
I came up with a few questions that I couldn’t find in the post and also I tried a few things but it didn’t work, so here they are:
– If I want to freeze the cookie dough then would you recommend more a ziplock bag or some other kind of container?
– Also, After I froze them for a couple weeks and put then straight into the oven, they burned. For how long would you recommend me letting the frozen dough cool down before i put it in the oven?
– For selling the cookies, would you recommend a cookie plastic bag? Or wax paper + paper bag?
– If I want to storage the cookie (after being baked) would you recommend ziplock?
Thank you so much!
Is it possible to make the dough, freeze it, then bake? I’m in a tropical country and I can’t maintain the cold temperature of the butter. I tried this today and it tasted really great, but it didn’t hold its shape. Hoping for your response! Will surely try this again!
I do that all the time. I always have this cookie dough in the freezer ready to bake. I take it out and put it on the baking sheet, wait 10 or 15 minutes and bake them. Obviously you have to add a few minutes to the baking time. (By the way, I freeze the dough balls in a baking sheet and the I stored it in a Ziplock)
that’s exactly what I do, too, and they turn out great!
Thank you for the advice! do you bake them for the same amount of time and with the same temperature as in the recipe after you freeze them?
Yes, same temperature. Of course a few minutes more(2 or 3)
I just keep an eye on them..
I really miss new york and I’m so glad I found this recipe of yours!
Can I make the cookie dough beforehand and freeze it? I tried this today and it didn’t hold the shape. I think it’s because of the temperature in our country (I’m in a tropical country, very humid). The moment I pulled out the cold butter from the fridge, it melted right away. But it tasted amazing! I just wasn’t satisfied with the shape I got so I was wondering if I could freeze it then bake. Thank you very much!
Best cookies I’ve ever made! Followed the directions and it came out exactly like the pics. Def worth making again, especially for a crowd.
Do you cover cookie sheet with parchment?